PWR 1CK: Investigating the News: Journalism, Technology, and the Future

Newspapers, magazines and news networks have had a digital rebirth over the last decade while facing economic and political headwinds. The New York Times and Washington Post have added millions of digital subscribers. Atlantic and Stat News led the way with COVID news and analysis that was often faster and more authoritative than the CDC. During the January 6th Capitol Invasion CNN had its highest single day ratings. A whole new branch of journalism has developed to report on an uncover digital disinformation campaigns—actual news about fake news. At the same time, the credibility of the ‘news’ is also under attack by politicians and partisan news sites. Meanwhile, the President of the United States has repeatedly called out CNN, CBS, the New York Times and the Washington Post as ‘Fake News’.

In this course, we will consider the debates about how publications that produce the news matter in our daily lives, shape our communities, encourage public accountability, and respond to technological change. Through your own research and writing, you'll contribute to ongoing discussions and debates: What future is there for the journalism? How can news publications make the transition to a digital future? How is the future of journalism tied to technological innovation? 

Journalists, academics, bloggers, and technology experts have weighed in on the fate of the news. Others have focused on the new possibilities for the viral distribution of news and multimedia reporting. Their arguments will provide material and topics for your research. In class, we will examine multimedia reporting as an argument for future of the newspaper. We will also investigate debates over AI generated content, fake news, viral news distribution, and the highly polarized, partisan news environment. In this class, we will think, research and write about possible futures for journalism and the news.

Examples of Research Topics

• the role of citizens as journalists
• the use of digital paywalls by newspapers
• the emergence of non-profit internet-based news organizations
• the environmental sustainability of print and digital newspapers
• the role of social media in distributing the news
• the difficulty in assessing the credibility and authority of digital news sources

PWR 1 Assignment Sequence

Rhetorical Analysis

(1200-1500 words; 4-5 pages) This short paper asks you to analyze an example of investigative multimedia journalism as a rhetorical object. Your object of analysis should be a multimedia feature article or intensive data visualization of the news.

Texts in Conversation Essay

(1800-2400 words; 6-8 pages) This assignment provides you the opportunity to explore different perspectives on the topic of your research project. You will choose a topic related to the fate of journalism and the news industry. You will enter this conversation by pursuing a variety of public, professional and scholarly perspectives. Your essay will identify and examine key sources in the ongoing conversation over this topic.

Research-Based Argument

(3000-3600 words; 10-12 pages) For this assignment, you will produce work from sources to write a thoughtful, persuasive, argument-based essay. Previous research topics have included: the use of AI in writing the news; the role of fact-checking in political journalism; the challenge of science reporting; the rise of journalists as influencers with their own substacks; newsroom diversity at elite news publications; and coverage of influencer culture in mainstream publications.